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After this first meeting, you may decide to meet again. If at some point you and your new friends want to begin to take some action in your community, you may think about forming an organized team. To learn more about building teams to address racial and cultural divisions, contact Rob or Susan Corcoran with Hope in the Cities and ask them for the Connecting Communities Toolkit. Here are some principles to keep in mind when seeking to heal divisions and build community:
from A
Call to Community A lot of the information on this site is available in a PDF booklet which you can print for your own use or to share with others. Guidelines for Great Discussions Great discussions dont just happen. They take workespecially when people are from different backgrounds and cultures! For some more resources check out the links on the Open Homes website. 1. Talking: Youre having an honest conversation when you
by Paige Chargois 2. Listening: An honest conversation also means listening. It may seem obvious, but listening is a vital tool. Especially when youre with people who are different from you or with whom you disagree! Try to show you are hearing whats being said by your words and actions. Be aware of your own cultures values and ways of doing things, so you can avoid making unfair judgments or reactions about others. Its easy to think our way is always best, but its more productive to try to see things from the others perspective. 3. Responding: Again, this isnt a time to argue perspectives or decide what to do next. Just listen and encourage your guests to speak from their hearts. Sometimes it is helpful to stop and reflect back to the speaker what you hear him saying, so he knows you understand. Dont be afraid of silence! It can be an important part of conversation. 4. Time Sharing: Be sure that everyone gets a chance to speak and that no one dominates the time. It may be helpful to state at the beginning how much time is available for each person to talk and to establish a respectful way of reminding people if they go over that time. REMEMBER: Different cultures have different ways of communicating! Unconscious gestures or phrases can have humorous (or embarrassing) results. The links page willl direct you to some websites about communicating across cultures that can help you say what you mean. |
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